RPW

I came across this article and thought it was interesting. It is an article by Dr. G. I. Williamson, who also wrote The Westminster Confession of Faith: A Study Guide, and it covers the Regulative Principle of Worship or RPW. Dr. R. Scott Clark also forumalted something similar in his book, Recovering the Reformed Confession. Both can be found at the Westminster Theological Seminary Bookstore online. Here's a short paragraph and summary of the RPW:

1. The Regulative Principle of Worship

What is the proper way to worship God? This is an age-old question, and historically there have been two divergent answers. (1) One of these is that of the Roman Catholic Church (followed in principle by Greek Orthodox, Lutheran and Anglican Churches) namely, that it is proper to worship God as we will so long as there is no direct statement in the Bible forbidding us. (2) The other is that of the Reformed Churches, which is, that it is proper to worship God only as He wills, and this means only in ways that He has commanded, instituted or prescribed in His Word. The contrast is plain: the one says, what is not forbidden is permitted; the other says, what is not commanded is forbidden.